Study Suggests Parents of Children with ADHD are More Likely to Divorce

A new study published by the Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology suggests that parents of young children with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) may be more likely to get a divorce.

Researchers studied 500 couples, 286 of which had a child with ADHD and 206 of which did not. Research indicates that parents of children with ADHD are more likely to divorce by the time the child is eight years old. After the age of eight the divorce rate is similar for both groups.

Research shows that parents of children with ADHD tend to argue more and are often less satisfied with their marriage.

Dr. William E. Pelham, Jr. is a researcher on the study and a professor of psychology and pediatrics at the University of Buffalo, Sate University of New York. Pelham points out that having a child with ADHD is not enough to break up a marriage alone.

"Certainly we are not suggesting that having a child with ADHD is the only reason these marriages end in divorce." said Pelham. "Disruptive child behavior likely interacts over time with other existing stress in the family to spark conflict in a marriage and, ultimately, divorce."

Other factors that may lead to divorce between parents of an ADHD child include an antisocial father, a family history of divorce, substance abuse problems, and depression in the mother.

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